musee rodin and a spot of shopping

Today the sky was bleu, so very bleu, with not a cloud in the sky. A perfect day to visit the gardens at the Musee Rodin. Look at how the dome of Les Invalides glistens in the sunshine.

The sculptures were utterly magnificent, but photos never do them justice. Instead, look at these glorious trees. Glorious.

Rodin gifted his entire collection of sculptures to the city on the proviso that he could live in this hotel for the remainder of his life and that it would become the Musee Rodin and always open to the people.

Good move Auguste.

Apparently when Rodin moved in the gardens were a shambles. Now they're utterly breathtakingly beautiful. Look at these white hydrangea.

If you look carefully you can spot three awesome things in this shot, Les Invalides dome, the Eiffel Tower and The Thinker. Oh, and lots of awesome conifers.

Here's The Thinker up close. Stunning. Simply stunning. And doesn't he look just gorgeous against that blue sky?

We discovered the other day that there was a Robert Mapplethorpe/Rodin exhibition and I was uber-excited. It didn't disappoint. While Mapplethorpe works with photographs, and Rodin with sculptures, there was a syncronicity with their work. It was a breathtaking exhibit.

Afterwards we had to take the girls shopping, so we stopped for a spot of lunch under this.

Looking at this.

How gorgeous is Galleries Lafeyette? {Very} I kept with tradition and bought a Tom Ford lippy. This one's a glorious deep red called Vampires Kiss. Swoonworthy it is. I shall wear it tonight.

Paris sure knows how to make a pretty department store doesn't it?

We're back home now, I've showered and have my feet up. No matter what it's impossible to get your feet and ankles Paris-cobblestone-ready. Not even ugly joggers would work. Oh well, nobody's ever died from sore feet have they? We're about to get dressed again and head out to the Louvre for a quick tour before dinner at Café Marly. I shall wear my new lippy! Luckily it's just a few metro stops from our local Bastille metro station.

Have I mentioned yet how in love I am with the Metro? Once you get a feel for it it is ridiculously simple to use. And cheap. 1 euro 30 per ticket to anywhere, trains every two minutes (sometimes three), fast, clean, efficient. Paris does just about everything perfectly.

Oh, and tomorrow it's cycling around Giverney and Monet's Garden. Bliss.